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No. 6l6,756. Patented Dec. 27, I898. W. C. WILLIAMSON.

HYDRAULIC TRANSMITTER FOR STEERING.

(Application filed Feb. 17, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

TNE yam-us PETERS co., PNa'raumQ, WASHINGTON, u. c

Patented Dec. 27, I898[ w. c'. WILLIAMSON. HYDRAULIC TRANSMITTER FORSTEERING.

(A plication filed Feb. 17, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

m: uonms PETERS co. woroumu, WASNINGTGM u c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM O. \(VILLIAMSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THEIVILLIAMSON BROTHERS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,756, dated December27, 1898. Application filed February 17, 1898. Serial No. 670,661. (Nomodel.)

draulic transmitters for steering ships, operating signals, &c.

The object of my invention is to provide means for keeping theoperating-cylinders charged with fluid at all times and to center thepiston of the transmitting-cylinder, and also to provide a safety-valvefor the apparatus, as fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a viewshowing a hydraulicsteeringgear illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a View looking in thedirection of the arrow, Fig. 1.

r Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the compressioncylinder. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the transmitting-cylinder. Fig. 5 is a plan view ofthe controlling-cylinder, and Fig. 6 is asectional View of one of thecheck-valves.

A is the ordinary steering-wheel, which is mounted on the stand A. Theshaft of this wheel is geared to a vertical shaft B, having a pinion b,which gears with a wheel I) on a shaftor stud, on which is a pinion bgearing into a rack c on the rod 0, attached to which is a piston 0within the transmittingcylinder D. On turning the wheel A in onedirection or the other the piston will be moved toward one or the otherend of the cylinder D.

E is a controlling-cylinder connected to the transmitting-cylinderthrough pipes e 6, so that each end of one cylinder is in communicationwith the corresponding end of the other cylinder. \Vithin the cylinder Eis a piston F, attached to a rod F, havingarackfiwhich meshes with apinion f", and attached to the pinion is a gear f, which meshes with apinion g on ashaft of the controlling-valve mech anism of asteering-engine. By this arrangement any movement of the steering-wheelA will be transmitted through the two cylinders to the controlling-valvemechanism.

H is a com pression-oylinder in which is a piston I, having a hollow rod1' extending up through the head of the cylinder and attached to across-head I. Extending from the crosshead through bearings h h on thecylinder are two rods a", carrying springs 1 which exert a pressure uponthe fluid in the cylinder under the piston. The tension of these springscan be regulated by nuts on the ends of the rods. The lower portion ofthe cylinder H is connected to both ends of the cylinder D by a pipe Jand its two branches J J In the passages are check-valves K K of aconstruction clearly shown in Fig. 6. The pipe J is extended to a tank Labove the cylinder II and connects also with the upper portion of thecylinder for the purpose of keeping the piston covered with fluid. Avalve j in the pipe cuts off the flow of fluid from the tank and upperportion of the cylinder H from the lower portion of the cylinder.

Stop-cocksj 7' are for the purpose of cutting off the pipe and the tank,respectively, when it is necessary to repair or remove the cylinder IIor its Valve.

The hollow piston-rod t' has at its upper end a cock 2' to allow for theescape of air from the system when being charged with fluid, this beingthe highest point in the system.

It will'be seen that when pressure is applied to the piston I by meansof the springs as soon as any fluid escapes from the system the piston Iwill force the check-valves 7c 71: in the casings K K open, so that theliquid will flow into the cylinder from the pipe J and replace thatwhich escaped, thus keeping at all times both the transmitting andcontrolling cylinders filled with fluid.

It will be understood that if a vacancy occurs in one end only of thecylinder the checkvalve of that end only will be opened.

The check-valves can be opened by the helmsman through the medium of thelevers M M, which are pivoted at on, one arm of each lever beingattached to a short plunger m, which extends through the stufling-box ofthe valve-casin g K and acts upon the ch eck-valve stem. The oppositeend of each lever is attached to an operating cord or rod which extends,in the present instance, to a bell-crank lever m connected toa push-rodm in close proximity to the steering-wheel A, so that the helmsman canplace his foot on the pushrod and so operate the lever as to force thecheck-valves open against the pressure of their springs It, so that bothends of the transmitting-cylinder D will communicate. He can then sooperate the wheel as to center the piston C in the cylinder, after whichby removing his foot from the push-rod the valves will automaticallyclose.

In order to charge the system with fluid in the first place, I connectboth ends of the cylinder E with a pipe N, having stop-valves 'n 'n ateach end and connected to a supply-pipe N, and in this pipe is astop-valve n, so that by coupling a pump to this pipe N and opening thevalves fluid can be forced into the cylinders and pipes of the system.

It will be noticed in referring to Fig. 6 that the check-valve 76 that Iprefer to use is so constructed that it will act .very quickly andwithout unnecessary friction. The valve 70 is adapted to its seat andhas a long stem 70 extending up into the upper chamber, and between aflange on this stem and the casing is mounted' aspring 7c, so as toinsure the quick closing of the check-valve. It is closed by thepressure of the fluid in the cylinder D. A rod m extends through the capof the valvecasing and is connected to the operating-lever, asdescribed. This rod has a head on the under side, so as to prevent itsbeing drawn out of the casing. A stop 10 limits the downward movement ofthe valve.

The cylinder H and its piston I also act as a safety-valve forpreventing any increased pressure that may be created by increase oftemperature. If, for instance, the liquid should expand, the piston Iwill simply move up against the pressure of its springs, and if thefluid contracts the springs will force the piston down, so that it notonly acts to keep the system charged with fluid, but also acts as asafety-Valve. A Weight or weights may be used in some instances in placeof the springs 1 but I prefer the springs.

In some instances I may connect both ends of the compression-cylinder Hby means of a by-pass S, having a relief-valve s, which is set to agiven pressure, so that in the event of the springs of thecompression-cylinder being adjusted carelessly to a greater pressurethan required fluid under pressure in the lower portion of the cylinderH will open the pressure-valve s, causing the fluid to flow to the upperportion of the cylinder, thus relieving the pressure. This will bereadilynoticed by the person adjusting the nuts on the rods t", who canthen readjust them.

In some instances I may dispense with the cylinder H and its piston anduse simply the water column in the pipe, so that when the valves of thetransmitting-cylinder are opened the water will flow into that end ofthe cylinder in which there is a vacancy.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination in a fluid transmitter,

of a transmitting-cylinder, a piston therein, means for operating thepiston, a controllingcylinder, a piston therein connected to themechanism to be operated, pipes leading from the ends of thetransmitting-cylinder to the ends of the controlling-cylinder, a pipeextending from each end of the transmittingcylinder, means for creatinga pressure in said pipes, a check-valve in each pipe closing againstpressure from the cylinder, and means for positively opening saidcheckvalves, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a fluid transmitter, of the transmitting-cylinder,a piston therein, means for operating the piston, acontrolling-cylinder, a piston therein connected to the mechanism to beoperated, pipes leading from the ends of the transmitting-cylinder tothe ends of the controlling-cylinder, a passage communicating with bothends of the transmitting-cylinder, two check-valves in the passageclosing against pressure from the cylinder, a liquid-supply pipecommunicating with said passage between the two valves and means forsimultaneously opening the two valves so that both ends of the cylinderwill communicate with the fluid-supply, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a fluid transmitter, of a transmitting-cylinder, apiston therein, means for operating the piston, acontrollingcylinder, apiston therein connected to the mechanism to be operated, pipes leadingfrom the ends of the transmitting-cylinder to the ends of thecontrolling-cylinder, a compression-cylinder connected to the system anda weighted piston within the cylinder,substantially as described.

4:. The combination of a transmitting-cylinder, a piston therein, meansfor operating said piston, a controlling-cylinder, a piston thereinconnected to the mechanism to be operated, tubes coupling the twocylinders together, a pipe connected to the two ends of the transmittingcylinder, check valves in said pipes, a compression-cylinder connectedto the pipe, a piston having a hollow rod, a stop-cock in the said rodand means for exerting a pressure upon the piston, substan tially asdescribed.

5. The combination of a transmitting-cyl inder, its piston, means foroperating the said piston, a controlling-cylinder, a piston thereinconnected to the mechanism to be operated, pipes leading from the endsof the transmitting-cylinder to the ends of the controlling-cylinder, apipe connected to each end of the transmitting-cylinder, check-valves insaid pipe, a compression-cylinder connected to the pipe, a pistonmounted in the compression-cylinder, with means for exerting pressure onthe piston and means for opening both check-valves simultaneously sothat the piston of the transmitting-cylinder can be centered,substantially as described.

6. The combination of a transmitting-cylinder, its piston, means foroperating the piston, a controlling-cylinder, a piston therein connectedto the mechanism to be operated, pipes leading from the ends of thetransmitting-cylinder to the ends of the controllingcylinder, acompression-cylinder connected to each end of the transmitting-cylinder,a hollow piston within the cylinder, and means for exerting a pressurethereon, a chargingpipe connected to both ends of thecontrolling-cylinder and valves in the charging-pipe, substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination of a transmitting-cylinder, its piston, means foroperating the piston, a controlling-cylinder, a piston therein connectedto the mechanism to be operated, pipes leading from the ends of thetransmitting-cylinder to the ends of the controllingcylinder, acompression-cylinder, a pipe leading from the compression-cylinder toeach end of the transmitting-cylinder and coupled to both ends of thecompression-cylinder and to a tank, a piston within the cylinder,ahollow rod for the piston having a stop-cock at its upper end, a springfor exerting a pressure upon the piston and a stop-cock in theconnection between the lower portion of the cylinder and the tank,substantially as described.

8. The combination in a fluid transmitter, of the transmitting-cylinder,a piston therein, means for operating said piston, acontrollingcylinder, a piston therein connected to the mechanism to beoperated, pipes leading from the ends of the transmitting-cylinder tothe ends of the controlling-cylinder, a bypass pipe communicating withboth ends of the transmitting-cylinder, a supply-pipe communicating withthe cylinder, a combined positive-opening and check valve in each end ofthe by-pass, and means for operating the valves so that communicationcan be established between the two ends of the cylinder to the centerthe piston therein to agree with the piston of the controlling-cylinder,substantially as described.

' connected to both ends of the cylinder, and

a relief-valve in said by-pass, substantially as described.

10. The combination in a fluid transmitter, of a transmitting-cylinder,a piston therein means for operating the piston, a controllingcylinder,a piston therein, connected to the mechanism to be operated, pipesleading from the ends of the transmitting-cylinder to the ends of thecontrolling-cylinder, a by-pass communicating with both ends of thetransmitting-cylinder,a spring check-valve at each end of the bypassclosing against pressure from the cylinder, a supply-pipe communi eatingwith the by-pass between the two valves, a rod mounted above the stem ofeach check-valve, a lever connected to each rod, means for operating thelevers in unison so as to force the rods down into the stem of eachcheck-valve and open the valve against the pressure of the springs,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM C. ILLIAMSON.

Witnesses:

WILL. A. BARR, J os. H. KLEIN.

